The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) held a meeting last month to check whether sufficient preparations were in place to help potential victims from floods and landslides in the 14 risk areas in Phuket.

DDPM Chief, San Chantawong has warned that from May till the end of the year, Phuket will experience heavy rainfall as a result of the South Western monsoon rains that drift over the Andaman Sea.

Chief San said, ?An increase in heavy rain and winds is likely to create a repeat of landslides and floods in the foothills of Phuket as much construction around them is unable to cope when it continually rains.?

Researchers have thus been hard at work to identify which areas may be the most severely affected. Using this information the DDPM Phuket together with the Phuket Public Health Office, Patong Municipality and related organisations will hold evacuation training and drills in the 14 most at risk areas on 28-29 June.

Unfortunatley this is three weeks too late and follows the deaths of two construction workers during a mudslide at a hillside construction project in Patong on 7 June.

Phuket Vice Governor Tri Augkaradacha said, ?Based on research conducted by Kasetsart University the three districts of Muang, Kathu and Thalang are most at risk.?

On 28 June, there will be a training seminar held by the Phuket Public Health, DDPM Phuket, and Thai Fire & Rescue Training Academy at the Patong Municipality meeting room. On 29 June there will be an evacuation drill along Siriraj road (opposite Simon Cabaret) in Patong.

Conversely, there are many people in Phuket who still experience drought problems despite the heavy rainfalls and the Local Administration Organisations have to distribute emergency water for such areas.

Chief San recognised that although heavy rainfalls cause problems on the island he hoped that it would rain continually to remedy the problem of droughts, ?There is not enough rain, so many people in the tambons of Maikhao, Sakoo, Paklok, Thepkrasatree, Kathu, Chalong, Rassada and Thalang district are still getting into trouble, but this problem will be solved by heavy rain.?